Refrigerator car construction



Dec. 1 5,- 1942. i c. E CREDE 2,305,141

REFRIGERATOR GAR CNSTRUCTION Filed July 2s. i941 2 sheets-sheet 1- .ma u N@ 5@ l REFRIGERATOR CARv CONSTRUCTION VFiled yJuly 2a, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 WI-"Iii' I .1s 2&5

Patented Dec. l5, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOROSTRCTION Charles E. Crede, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Devices Company,v Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 28, 1941, Serial No. 404,318

(Cl. (i2-17) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities at a predetermined temperature. The usual features of a refrigerator car are an insulated body to prevent or retard ingress of heat during warm weather and egress of heat during cold weather and a cooling means and preferably a heating means to be used during warm and cold weather respectively.

This invention applies particularly to cars in which the cooling means, preferably containers for water ice, eutectic ice, brine or dry ice, are disposed immediately below the roof of the car. The lading is supported in spaced relation to the floor by a foraminous rack. Flues, preferably associated with the side walls of the car, communicate between the cooling means and the space under the floor rack to provide a path for the circulation of air. The basic air circulation in a car of this type, when the lading is of a nature to permit air permeation therethrough, is from the cooling means downwardly through the aforementioned iiues, through the space under the floor rack, upwardly through the lading compartment, thereby cooling the lading, and finally to the cooling means from where the cycle is repeated.

The commodities usually carried in refrigerator cars are packed in various ways, such as in boxes or crates; in bags; in bulk without any packaging; and even by bunches or stems, as bananas. When the commodity is loaded in boxes or crates, it may be loaded into the car either solidly from side wall to side Wall and substantially from floor to ceiling, or it may be provided with spacing strips or other means between the boxes or crates to allow for the circulation of cold air. In the type` of refrigerator car herein disclosed and with a loosely loaded lading, the cold air circulates from the space under the floor rack upwardly through the lading compartment toward the roof of the car, thereby cooling the lading, but if such lading is tightly packed within the car, the cold air may be prevented from reaching certain parts thereof with a consequent increase in the temperature of those parts.

Furthermore, in certain types of lading, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, the ripening thereof in transit releases heat which is known as the heat of respiration, the amountof which heat varies greatly from one product to another, as well as for different temperature ranges. This heat has a tendency to collect in the upper part of the carvand thereby prevent the lading in such upper part from reaching the low temperature required for preservation of the commodity.

An object of the invention is to supply cold air preferably substantially uniformly between the top and the bottom of the lading compartment, which air is injected into the compartment preferably from one or both side walls of the car so as to overcome the harmful effects caused by the restriction of air ow from the space under the oor rack upwardly through the lading compartment.

A further object is to inject such distributed supply of cold air into the lading compartment without in any way interfering with the basic circulatory system for the overhead bunker type of car as hereinabove described.

A further object of the invention'is to provide means for injecting a supply of cold air over the top of the lading to counteract the harmful effects of the heat of respiration, which heat has a tendency to maintain the upper part of the car at a high temperature. The cold air distributed over the top of the lading also overcomes the deficiency of cold air in the upper part of the car caused by the lading being so tightly loaded into the car that air circulation from under the floor rack to the upper part of the car is restricted.

Another object is to provide means for injecting cold air into the lading compartment distributively between the upper and lower parts thereof and at the same time to prevent the entrance of moisture from the refrigerating means into the lading compartment.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description by referring to the accompanying draw--` ings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a transverse section of a refrigerator car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are partial transverse sections through a refrigerator car embodying another modification of my invention as indicated by lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan section taken on line 5-5 of Figs. 3 and 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are plan and elevational views, respectively, showing a modified means to preventthe entrance of liquid into the ducts which communicate through the side walls with the lading compartment.

The general parts of the refrigerator car shown,V

are insulated roof A; side walls B; floor D; refrigerant containers E; hatches F for loading refrigerant into the containers E; foraminous floor rack H and space J between the rack H and the floor D. The refrigerant containers E are positioned directly below the roof A and adjacent the respective side `walls B. Drip pans K are provided below the containers E and partitions L are disposed in upstanding positions at the edges of the drip pans K. The drip pans K and the partitions L cooperate with the roof A and the upper parts of the side walls B to form enclosures M around the Vcontainers E, air inlet openings N to the enclosures M being provided by spacing the partitions L from the roof A. The partitions L on opposite sides of the car spaced apart to form a duct Q which communicates between the lading compartment VR and openings N.

In the modification shown in Figs. l and 2, the side walls B of the car are comprised of the usual inner ('2) and outer (3) sheathing with insulation therebetween. Metallic sheets 6 formed with vertically extending corrugations 8 are rsupported in spaced relation to the inner sheathing 2 by a plurality of verticallyT extending posts 9 so as to form vertically extending flues 4H associated with the side walls B of the car. 'The lining is comprised-of a plurality of horizontally extending, vertically spaced slats i2, also preferably supported by the posts 9. The spaces between vthe slats i2 and the outwardly projecting corrugations 8 in the metallic sheets 8 form a plurality of ducts i4 which communicate through the spaces i5 between the slats i2 with the lading compartment R of the car. Openings `I6 are provided for flow of cold air and liquid from the enclosures M to the ilues l l.

Gutters Il are preferably provided in the floor D of the car substantially below the ues H to receive overflowed liquid refrigerant and condensate from the refrigerant containers E and preferably water sealed drains i8 are provided for leading the liquid from the gutters I'l to the exterior of the car.

Thedrip pans K are preferably provided with metallic covering 20 having parts 2i which depend in iiatwise, overlapping relation with the metallic sheets E. The depending parts 2l are provided with apertures 23 having outstanding peripheral yiialnges for the purpose of preventing liquid from entering the upper ends of the ducts I4. The slats vI2 are preferably provided with their upper edges 24 inclined downwardly toward the ducts I4 for the purpose of draining any liquid into the ducts rather than into the lading compartment R.

Refrigerant, which may be water ice, dry ice or any other suitable refrigerant, is loaded into the refrigerant containers E and the air adjacent such containers is cooled by contact therewith and flows by gravity downwardly through the side wall iiues Il to the space J under the floor rack H. The cold air then permeates upwardly through the lading compartment R and cools the lading by contact therewith, thereafter flowing through the duct Q between the refrigerant containers E and being again cooled by contact with the containers E. The above described air circulation takes place when the lading is loaded within the car in such a way as to leave spaces for the upward flow of air'.

When the lading is more or less tightly loaded within the car so as to eliminate or restrict the air passages therethrough, someor 4all ofthe air cooled byV Contact with the containers E flows through the apertures 23 in the depending parts 2! of the drip pan coverings 23 and then flows downwardly through the side wall ducts I4. The air in such ducts then permeates through the spaces l5 between the slats l2 and into the lading compartment R, thereby uniformly cooling the lading. The spaces l5 between the slats l2 are preferably smaller in the upper part of the car because the volume of airis larger in the upper parts of the ducts I4 and the progressively increasing spaces l5 toward the lower :part of the car provide a uniform distribution of air.

In the modification disclosed in Figures 3 to 5 inclusive, the side wall B of the car is comprised of the usual inner (3U) and outer (3|) sheathing with insulation 33 therebetween. Metallic sheets 34 formed with relatively deep, vertically extending and preferably unsymmetrical corrugations are supported by substantially vertical posts 36 adjacent the inner sheathing 30 of the ywall B. vertically extending nues 31 are formed between the inwardly projecting corrugations 39 of the metallic sheets 34 and the inner side wall sheathing 30, which flues 31 function to conduct cold air from the refrigerant enclosure M to the space J under the door rack H and also to conduct liquid to the gutters 43 as herein above described. rhe flow of air, `when the lading is loosely loaded, is then from the space J under the floor rack H upwardly through the lading compartment R, through the duct Q, and back to the enclosure M to be recooled by Contact with the refrigerant container E.

The lining of the car is formed of horizontally extending, vertically spaced slats 42, also preferably supported by the posts 36. The spaces between the outwardly projecting corrugations 43 of the metallic sheets 34 and the lining 42 form a plurality of vertically extending ducts 45 arranged also to receive air cooled by contact with the refrigerant containers. The air flowing downwardly through the ducts 45 escapes through the spaces 4B between the slats 42 into the lading compartment R, thereby uniformly cooling the lading, particularly when such lading is loaded into the car in a manner to prevent or restrict the upward permeation of air from the space J below the floor rack H. The slats 42 are spaced apart a greater distance adjacent the lower part of the car than adjacent the upper part for the purpose hereinbefore described. Delectors, which in the form shown rare angle members V48, are mounted upon the drip pan K adjacent the 'ducts 45 to prevent entrance of liquid into the ducts and at the same time to'deflect such liquid into the iiues 3l.

Figures 6 and '7 show a modied means to/preventv the entrance of .liquid into ducts 45 which are formed similarly to the ducts 45 disclosed in Figures 3 to 5. The drip pan covering 50 is ,provided with tongues 5| which overlie the ducts 45 and are provided with depending anges 53 spaced from the webs 54 of the corrugated metallic sheets 34. The entrance of liquid into the ducts 45 is thereby prevented and the parts of the webs Y54 aligned 'with the depending iianges 53 are notched (56) so vthat cold "air may'flow under the bottom edges of the dependin'g'flange's, through the notches, and thence downwardly through the ducts 45.

The accompanying drawings illustratethe preferredform-of the `invention, though it is to 'be understood .that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

Certain features herein disclosed but not claimed are claimed in the application of Garth G. Gilpin, Serial No. 404,378, led July 28, 1941, and owned by the same assignee.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car, in combination with the walls, roof and floor which enclose a lading compartment, a foraminous rack for supporting a lading and providing a space between the compartment and the floor, refrigerating means below the roof and above the lading compartment, corrugated means associated with one of said walls with said corrugations running vertically to provide a flue arranged to conduct refrigerated air from said refrigerating means to said space, a lining interposed between said ue and said compartment and comprising a series of horizontally disposed spaced slats, the second mentioned means cooperating with the lining to form duct means, arranged between said ues and said compartment, to receive refrigerated air at its upper end and discharge the same through the spacing between said slats into said lading compartment between the upper and lower portions thereof.

2. In a refrigerator car, in combination with the walls, roof and floor which enclose a lading compartment, a foraminous rack providing a space between the compartment vand the iioor, refrigerating means below the roof and above the lading compartment, means associated with one y of said walls to provide a, flue arranged to conduct refrigerated air from said refrigerating means to said space, an opening through the upper end of said flue means, a lining interposed between said flue and said compartment and comprising a series of horizontally disposed spaced slats, the second mentioned means cooperating with the lining to form duct means, arranged between said iue and said compartment, to receive refrigerated air through said opening and discharge the same through the spacing between said slats into said lading compartment between the upper and lower portions thereof.

3. In a refrigerator car, in combination with the walls, roof and floor which enclose a lading compartment, refrigerating means below the roof and above the lading compartment, means associated with one of said walls to provide a fiue arranged to conduct refrigerated air from said refrigerating means to ysaid compartment, a relatively smallr opening through the upper end of said flue means, a lining interposed between said. flue and said compartment and comprising a series of horizontally disposed spaced-slats, the second mentioned means, cooperating with the lining to form duct means, arranged between said flue and said compartment, to receive refrigerated air through said opening and discharge the same through the spacing between said slats into said lading compartment between the upper and lower portions thereof.

CHARLES E. CREDE. 

